by James Glaser
August 12, 2004

After writing my column titled "Still Crazy" I started getting letters from many women who are married and in love with Veterans. Not just Nam Vets, but Korean and even WW II vets who are still having problems with their war.

It is going to take me some time to come up with some sort of response to the question of how they can they "can reach him, how can I reassure him that I will always be there for him." I didn't want to give some off the cuff answer and I guess I will have to explain how Charmaine helped me.

The Veterans Administration would like America to believe that Post Traumatic Stress is something only Vietnam Vets suffer from, but that is far from true. I have met many veterans from many wars who all tell me the same thing. They were just fine as long as they kept working, but when they retired and had time on their hands to think, the War popped into their mind and they didn't know what to do with it.

Many guys get all sad and depressed and almost to a man, you find out they were workaholics and that is the way they were able to keep thoughts of the war from coming out. They just kept so busy there wasn't time to deal with their grief, fear, and loss.

At every VA Hospital there are support groups that help men and women veterans to know that they are not the only ones going through this renewal of their war experience. There are Korean War and WW II groups, along with Vietnam War and Desert Storm groups. Soon returning vets from Iraq will be starting theirs.

Many veterans feel that they have to tough it out themselves. They never realize the toll that takes on those who love them. The American people never realize how much of a problem this is. They only count those who receive a disability check from the VA. If you don't cost them anything, your suffering does not count.

Every War costs way more that our government ever lets on. Every combat veteran is changed for life. Some need help and seek it out. Some need help and will not admit it. And then there are those that can't handle it at all and wind up dead. Some suffer for years and one day they say enough is enough and they pull the pin.

Presidents and Congressmen who send troops off to war, if they have never been to war themselves, only look at the numbers that represent a fiscal cost, they have no idea of what the are asking of our troops and many of those troops will pay for their time in combat for the rest of their lives. That is a cost we should all think about.